A Stone Cherub Playing the Mandolin - the Forest Glade Gardens; Mount Macedon Road, Mount Macedon

            The pathway from the lower to the upper lawns of the Italian Gardens are flanked by two classical cherubs.  One strums a mandolin whilst the other joyously plays the tambourine. Cherubs or Putti were an Italian creation.  Usually figures in a work of art or sculpture, they are depicted as a chubby male children, usually naked and sometimes winged. Originally limited to profane passions, over time they became symbols for things such as the music or arts.  Many English young men were inspired by the treasures of Italy after having completed the Grand Tour in the Eighteenth Century.  They brought their ideas back with them and used them to create their own Italian inspired gardens in England.  The same could be said here at the Forest Glade Gardens in Mount Macedon.

The Forest Glade Gardens are well established European inspired landscaped gardens of six hectares that are to be found on the Mount Macedon Road in the hill station town of Mount Macedon.

The Forest Glade Gardens are just shy of one hundred years old.  The gardens were originally two adjoining properties that comprised orchards and lush grazing paddocks.  In 1941 local family the Newtons purchased and extended the property and set about creating one of Mount Macedon's most stunning gardens.

In 1971 the Forest Glade Gardens were acquired by Melbourne property developer Mr. Cyril Stokes who together with his partner Trevor Neil Bell, developed the gardens even further.  Cyril was a great collector of European antiques, and his love of European antiquity is reflected in the gardens, particularly in the many classical marble and bronze statues dotted about the grounds. 

Unfortunately the Forest Glade Gardens were partly destroyed by the tragic Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983.  However, after many years of hard labour put in by Cyril and Trevor, The Forest Glade Gardens were reborn from the ashes.  The gardens are built on a sloping block and consist of a range of terraces all of which offer wonderful vistas.  A garden designed to give pleasure all year round, the Forest Glad Gardens contain several heritage listed trees and are made up of smaller themed gardens including; the Italian Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Daffodil Meadow, the Peony Walk, Hydrangea Hill, the Topiary Gardens, the Bluebell Meadow, the Fern Gully and the Laburnum Arch.

In 2011 the property was gifted to a registered charity - The Stokes Collection Limited - with the intention of keeping the Forest Glade Gardens maintained and open to the public.

The Mount Macedon township is located east of the Mount Macedon summit, which is approximately 60 km north-west of Melbourne.

The name of Mount Macedon is apparently derived from Philip II, who ruled Macedon between 359 and 336BC.   The mountain was named by Thomas Mitchell, the New South Wales Surveyor General. 

Settled in the 1850s by gold miners and timber cutters, the railway arrived at the Mount Macedon township in 1861, providing a vital connection to Melbourne, and sealing the town's future as a 'hill station' resort for wealthy Melburnians escaping the summer heat in the 1870s.  With the land deforested, large blocks were sold and beautiful and extensive gardens were planted around the newly built homes.  The rich soil and good rainfall also made the area suitable for large orchards and plant nurseries who could send fruit and flowers back to Melbourne.  Newspaper owner, David Syme, built a house, "Rosenheim" in 1869. It was acquired in 1886 for Victorian Governors to use as a country retreat, making Mount Macedon an attractive destination for the well heeled of Melbourne society.  A primary school was built in Mount Macedon in 1874, and as the decades progressed, hotels, guest houses, shops, a Presbyterian Church and Church of England were built.  In 1983, Mount Macedon was devastated by the Ash Wednesday Bush Fires.  A large portion of the town was raised, and a number of lives were lost.  However, like a phoenix from the ashes, Mount Macedon has risen and rebuilt.  Today it is still a popular holiday destination, particularly during spring time when the well established gardens flourish with flowers and in autumn when the exotic trees explode in a riot of reds and yellows.

Taken in: Australia / Victoria / Mount Macedon (show map)

Taken on: March 19, 2022

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Camera: Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS, f/2.8, 1/20 sec, 6.2mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon DIGITAL IXUS 80 IS
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.05 sec (1/20)
Focal Length:	6.2mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
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